Plasma display panel drive method and plasma display device

ABSTRACT

One field time period is formed of a plurality of subfields having at least a writing time period and a sustaining time period, of an initialization time period, the writing time period, and the sustaining time period. A display electrode pair is divided into a plurality of blocks. Starting timings of the subfields of the blocks are set to be shifted so that writing timings of two or more blocks of the plurality of blocks do not coincide with each other.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a driving method of a plasma displaypanel and a plasma display device.

BACKGROUND ART

A plasma display panel (hereinafter referred to as “panel”) is a displaydevice that has a large screen, is thin and light, and has highvisibility.

A typical alternating-current surface discharge type panel used as theplasma display panel has many discharge cells between a front plate anda back plate that are faced to each other. The front plate has thefollowing elements:

-   -   a plurality of display electrode pairs disposed in parallel on a        front glass substrate; and    -   a dielectric layer and protective layer for covering the display        electrode pairs.

Here, each display electrode pair is formed of a scan electrode and asustain electrode. The back plate has the following elements:

-   -   a plurality of data electrodes disposed in parallel on a back        glass substrate;    -   a dielectric layer for covering the data electrodes;    -   a plurality of barrier ribs disposed on the dielectric layer in        parallel with the data electrodes; and    -   phosphor layers disposed on the surface of the dielectric layer        and on side surfaces of the barrier ribs.

The front plate and back plate are faced to each other so that thedisplay electrode pairs and the data electrodes three-dimensionallyintersect, and are sealed. Discharge gas is filled into a dischargespace in the sealed product. In the panel having this configuration,ultraviolet rays are emitted by gas discharge in each discharge cell.The ultraviolet rays excite respective phosphors of red, blue, andgreen, emit light, and thus provide color display.

A subfield method is generally used as a method of driving the panel. Inthis method, one field time period is divided into a plurality ofsubfields, and the subfields at which light is emitted are combined,thereby performing gradation display. Here, each subfield has aninitialization time period, a writing time period, and a sustaining timeperiod.

In the initialization time period, initializing discharge is performedsimultaneously in all discharge cells, the history of the wall chargefor each discharge cell before the initializing discharge is erased, andwall charge required for a subsequent writing operation is formed. Inthe writing time period, scan pulse voltage is sequentially applied tothe scan electrodes, writing pulse voltage corresponding to signals ofimages to be displayed is applied to the data electrodes, writingdischarge is selectively raised between the scan electrodes and the dataelectrodes, and the wall charge is selectively formed. In the subsequentsustaining time period, a predetermined numbers of sustaining pulsevoltages are applied between the scan electrodes and the sustainelectrodes, and discharge and light emission are performed selectivelyin the discharge cells where the wall charge is formed by writingdischarge. This method is described in “Whole plasma display”, by HirakiUchiike and Shigeo Mikoshiba, Kougyou Chosakai Publishing Inc., May 1,1997, p79-p80, p153-p154, for example.

A driving method allowing suppression of false contours generated by thesubfield method is also proposed (for example, Japanese PatentUnexamined Publication No. H11-305726). In this method, only oneinitializing operation and only one writing operation are performed in aplurality of subfields, thereby continuing subfields in which light isemitted and suppressing the false contours.

In the driving methods discussed above, operations in the initializationtime period, writing time period, and sustaining time period areexecuted by time division, and respective times required for theinitializing operation, the writing operation, and the sustainingoperation are summed. The driving time becomes therefore long.Therefore, the time assigned to the sustaining time period becomes shortand sufficient luminance cannot be secured, or the time for increasingthe number of subfields cannot be secured and the number of gradationsto be displayed cannot be increased.

The present invention addresses the problems, and provides a drivingmethod of a plasma display panel and a plasma display device. The methodand device secure the time assigned to the sustaining time period or thetime for increasing the number of subfields, and allow increase ofluminance and high gradation display.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the problems, and provides a drivingmethod of a plasma display panel. The plasma display panel has thefollowing elements:

-   -   a plurality of display electrode pairs that extend in a row        direction and form a display line;    -   a plurality of data electrodes disposed in the direction        crossing the display electrode pairs; and    -   discharge cells formed at intersections of the data electrodes        and the display electrode pairs.

In this method, one field time period is formed of a plurality ofsubfields having at least a writing time period and a sustaining timeperiod, of an initialization time period, the writing time period, andthe sustaining time period. Each display electrode pair is divided intoa plurality of blocks, and starting timings of the subfields of theblocks are set to be shifted so that writing timings of two or moreblocks of the plurality of blocks do not coincide with each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an essential part of a panel usedin a plasma display device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a driving circuit block and an electrode array of the panelin the plasma display device.

FIG. 3 shows a waveform chart of a driving voltage applied to eachelectrode in one block of the plasma display device.

FIG. 4 shows timings of an initialization time period, a writing timeperiod, and a sustaining time period in each subfield in four blocks inaccordance with exemplary embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows timings of an initialization time period, a writing timeperiod, and a sustaining time period in each subfield in four blocks inaccordance with exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows timings of an initialization time period, a writing timeperiod, and a sustaining time period in each subfield in four blocks inaccordance with exemplary embodiment 3 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A driving method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention will be described hereinafter with reference to thefollowing drawings.

First Exemplary Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an essential part of a panel usedin an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Panel 1 has frontplate 2 and back plate 9 that are faced to each other, and a dischargespace is formed between front plate 2 and back plate 9. In front plate2, a plurality of pairs of parallel scan electrodes 4 and sustainelectrodes 5, which form display electrodes, are formed on front glasssubstrate 3. Dielectric layer 7 is formed so as to cover scan electrodes4 and sustain electrodes 5, and protective layer 8 is formed ondielectric layer 7. Here, a pair of scan electrodes 4 and sustainelectrodes 5 form display electrode pair 6.

In back plate 9, a plurality of data electrodes 11 covered withinsulator layer 12 are formed on back glass substrate 10, and barrierribs 13 are disposed on insulator layer 12, between data electrodes 11,and in parallel with data electrodes 11. Phosphor layers 14 of red,green, and blue are formed on the surface of insulator layer 12 and onside surfaces of barrier ribs 13. Front plate 2 and back plate 9 arefaced to each other in the intersecting direction of scan electrodes 4and sustain electrodes 5 with data electrodes 11. Discharge spaces 15formed between front plate 2 and back plate 9 are filled with dischargegas such as mixed gas of neon and xenon. The intersection of eachdisplay electrode pair 6 and data electrode 11 in discharge space 15works as discharge cell 16, namely a unit light emitting region.

FIG. 2 shows a driving circuit block and an electrode array of the panelin the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In thisembodiment, display electrode pair 6 of panel 1 is divided into fourblocks, scan electrode 4 and sustain electrode 5 belonging to the blockare independently driven. The plasma display device has the followingelements:

-   -   image signal processing unit 106 for converting image signal Sig        to image data at each subfield;    -   data electrode driving unit 102 for converting the image data at        each subfield to a signal corresponding to each data electrode        11 and for driving data electrode 11;    -   timing producing unit 105 for producing various timing signals        in response to horizontal synchronizing signal H and vertical        synchronizing signal V;    -   four scan electrode driving units 131 to 134 and four sustain        electrode driving units 141 to 144 for driving scan electrodes 4        and sustain electrodes 5 in four blocks in response to        respective timing signals, respectively; and    -   panel 1 for displaying an image.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, display electrode pair 6of panel 1 is divided into four blocks, and four scan electrode drivingunits 131 to 134 for driving scan electrodes 4 in respective blocks andfour sustain electrode driving units 141 to 144 for driving sustainelectrodes 5 in respective blocks are independently disposed. Asdescribed later, these driving units drive the blocks at differenttimings.

Driving voltage waveforms for driving the panel and their operations aredescribed hereinafter. In the present embodiment, the number of displayelectrode pairs of the panel is 384 (768×½), one field is formed of 20subfields (1SF, 2SF, . . . , 20SF), only first subfield has aninitialization time period, and driving is performed so as to continuesubfields at which light is emitted. The number of sustaining pulses ineach sustaining time period in each subfield is 222, 208, 194, 180, 166,152, 140, 126, 114, 102, 90, 78, 68, 56, 46, 36, 28, 18, 12, or 4.

A driving method of one block is firstly described. FIG. 3 shows awaveform chart of a driving voltage applied to each electrode in oneblock. In the initialization time period of 1SF in the block, voltagesapplied to data electrodes 11 and sustain electrodes 5 are kept 0 (V),and a lamp voltage is applied to scan electrodes 4. This lamp voltagegently increases from voltage Vi1 (V) that is not higher than adischarge start voltage, to voltage Vi2 (V) exceeding the dischargestart voltage. Then, positive voltage Vh (V) is continuously applied tosustain electrodes 5, and a lamp voltage is applied to scan electrodes4. This lamp voltage gently decreases from voltage Vi3 (V) to voltageVi4 (V). At this time, two weak initialization discharges occur in alldischarge cells, the wall voltage on scan electrodes 4 and the wallvoltage on sustain electrodes 5 are decreased, and the wall voltage ondata electrodes 11 is adjusted to a value appropriate to a writingoperation. The wall voltage on the electrodes means a voltage generatedby the wall charge accumulated on dielectric layer 7, protective layer8, or phosphor layer 14 that cover the electrodes.

In the subsequent writing time period, the voltage applied to scanelectrodes 4 is temporarily kept Vc (V). Then, positive writing pulsevoltage Vd (V) is applied to data electrode 11 corresponding to adischarge cell to be displayed in the first row of the block, of dataelectrodes 11, and scan pulse voltage Va (V) is applied to scanelectrode 4 in the first row of the block. Discharge occurs between dataelectrode 11 to which writing pulse voltage Vd (V) is applied and scanelectrode 4 in the first row, and develops to discharge between thisscan electrode 4 and sustain electrode 5. Thus, writing discharge isselectively produced in the discharge cell to be displayed in the firstrow, and the writing operation of accumulating the wall voltage on eachelectrode is performed. The writing operation discussed above issequentially continued to the discharge cell in the final row of theblock.

In the subsequent sustaining time period, positive sustaining pulsevoltage Vs (V) is applied alternately to sustain electrodes 5 and scanelectrodes 4. At this time, in the discharge cell where the writingdischarge has occurred, the voltage between scan electrodes 4 andsustain electrodes 5 becomes equal to the summation of sustaining pulsevoltage Vs (V) and the wall voltage accumulated by the writingoperation, and exceeds the discharge start voltage to produce sustainingdischarge. In the writing time period, the sustaining discharge is notproduced in the discharge cell where the writing discharge does notoccur.

The subfield of 2SF or later in the block has no initialization timeperiod, and is formed of a writing time period and a sustaining timeperiod. In the discharge cell where the sustaining discharge hasoccurred at the immediately previous subfield, the sustaining dischargeoccurs in the sustaining time period even when no writing operation isperformed in the writing time period. In the panel driving method of thepresent embodiment, thus, subfields at which light is emitted arecontinued. Here, operations in the writing time period and sustainingtime period in the subfield of 2SF or later are the same as those in1SF, so that the descriptions of these operations are omitted.

A driving method of each of four blocks of display electrode pair 6 isdescribed hereinafter. FIG. 4 shows timings of the initialization timeperiod, writing time period, and sustaining time period in each subfieldin four blocks in accordance with exemplary embodiment 1. The verticalaxis shows four blocks, and the horizontal axis shows time.

The initialization time period is firstly started in 1SF in the firstblock. After the initialization time period, the writing time period isstarted in 1SF in the first block. After the writing time period in thefirst block, the sustaining time period is started in the first blockand the initialization time period is started in 1SF in the secondblock. After the initialization time period in the second block, thewriting time period is started in the second block. After that, thesimilar operations are performed. In other words, after the writing timeperiod in the second block, the sustaining time period is started in thesecond block and the initialization time period and the writing timeperiod are sequentially started in 1SF in the third block. After thewriting time period in the third block, the sustaining time period isstarted in the third block and the initialization time period and thewriting time period are sequentially started in 1SF in the fourth block.

After the writing time period in the fourth block, the sustaining timeperiod is started in the fourth block, and the writing time period isstarted in 2SF in the first block when the sustaining time period hasfinished in the first block. When the sustaining time period has notfinished in the first block, the writing time period in 2SF in the firstblock is not started, and is started after the finish of the sustainingtime period. After the writing time period in the first block, thesustaining time period is started in the first block, and the writingtime period is started in 2SF in the second block when the sustainingtime period has finished in the second block. When the sustaining timeperiod has not finished in the second block, the writing time period in2SF in the second block is not started, and is started after the finishof the sustaining time period. After that, similarly, the writing timeperiods in the third block and the fourth block are provided not tocoincide with the writing time periods of the other blocks. In thedescription discussed above, a time period belonging to none of theinitialization time period, the writing time period, and the sustainingtime period can occur, and this time period is called “an idle timeperiod”.

After the writing time period in 20SF in the fourth block, thesustaining time period is started in the fourth block, and, when thesustaining time period has finished in the first block, theinitialization time period is started in 1SF, namely the next field, inthe first block. When the sustaining time period has not finished in thefirst block, the initialization time period is not started, and isstarted after the finish of the sustaining time period. An adjustingtime period for matching the length of one field with 1/60 s may beprovided between 20SF and the next field 1SF.

Thus, the driving time of one field can be shortened, by dividing thedisplay electrode pair into a plurality of blocks and by driving theblocks with the phases shifted so that the writing time period in eachblock does not coincide with the writing time period or theinitialization time period in each block. For example, assuming that thelength of the initialization time period is 200 μs, the writing timeperiod for one display electrode pair is 1.7 μs, the number of displayelectrode pairs in each block is 96, and the width of the sustainingpulse is 4.5 μs, a subfield structure having 20 SFs in 15.8 ms isallowed, as shown in FIG. 4.

If the subfield structure having 20 SFs is provided under the samecondition as that in a conventional driving method, 20.9 ms is requiredand exceeds the time 16.6 ms of one field. Therefore, this subfieldstructure cannot be realized.

As discussed above, the starting timing of the subfield in each block isshifted in time so that the writing time periods in two or more blocksof the plurality of blocks do not coincide with each other. Therefore,the sustaining time period in one block can coincide with the writingtime period and the initialization time period of the other block, thedriving time for one field can be shortened, and the number of subfieldscan be increased to increase the number of displayable gradations. Thesustaining time period may be elongated to increase the luminance.

In the present embodiment, display electrode pair 6 is divided into fourblocks, namely the number of blocks is four. The driving time is long ineither of the cases that the number of blocks is excessively large andthat the number is excessively small. The reason is described below.When the number of blocks is increased, the sustaining time period canbe made to coincide with the writing time period and hence the drivingtime can be shortened by the coinciding amount. However, theinitialization time periods are shifted in time in respective blocks,and hence the driving time becomes long by the shifted amount. It istherefore preferable that the number of blocks is optimized based onvarious conditions such as the number of scan electrodes, the number ofsubfields, existence of the initialization time period in each subfield,the number of sustaining pulses, and times required for writingdischarge and sustaining discharge.

In the present embodiment, a driving method using a positive logic isdescribed. In this method, the initialization time period is providedonly in the first subfield, and a writing operation for starting thelighting from a desired subfield is then performed. However, a drivingmethod using a negative logic may be employed. In this method, subfieldsare continuously lighted, and a writing operation for eliminating thewall charge is performed in a desired subfield to stop sustaining lightemission. A driving method formed of a combination of these methods maybe employed.

Second Exemplary Embodiment

A panel and driving circuit employed in exemplary embodiment 2 of thepresent invention is the same as those in exemplary embodiment 1. Onefield is formed of 20 subfields, an initialization time period isprovided only in the first subfield 1SF, and a driving for continuingsubfields in which light is emitted is performed, similarly to exemplaryembodiment 1. In exemplary embodiment 2, lengths of subfields 2SF to20SF other than the first subfield are set equal to each other in eachblock, and the sustaining time period of the first subfield 1SF isback-aligned in 1SF in each block, differently from exemplary embodiment1.

FIG. 5 shows timings of an initialization time period, a writing timeperiod, and a sustaining time period in each subfield in four blocks inaccordance with exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. Thevertical axis shows four blocks, and the horizontal axis shows time. Theoperations in the initialization time period and the writing time periodare firstly performed in 1SF in the first block. After the writing timeperiod, the initialization time period is started in 1SF in the secondblock, similarly to exemplary embodiment 1. In the first block, however,an idle time period is started and the sustaining time period is thenstarted. The length of the idle time period is equal to a value derivedby subtracting the sum of the idle time periods in 1SF to 20SF in thefourth block from the sum of the idle time periods in 1SF to 20SF in thefirst block of embodiment 1. In other words, the excess part of thetotal idle time period in the first block comparing with the total idletime period in the fourth block is set as the idle time period after thewriting time period in 1SF of the first block. In the second block,similarly, after the writing time period in the second block, the idletime period is started in the second block, and the operations in theinitialization time period and the writing time period are performed in1SF in the third block. The length of the idle time period in the secondblock is also equal to the excess period of the total idle time periodin the second block comparing with the total idle time period in thefourth block. After the idle time period in the second block, thesustaining time period in the second block is started. In the thirdblock, similarly, after the writing time period in the third block, theidle time period is started in the third block, and the operations inthe initialization time period and the writing time period are performedin 1SF in the fourth block. After the idle time period in the thirdblock, the sustaining time period is started in the third block.

When the first subfield 1SF is structured in each block as discussedabove, the length of each subfield of 2SF or later in one block can beequalized to that in another block, the difference between startingtimings of the sustaining time periods in adjacent blocks can be set atthe length of the writing time period in each block, namely ¼ of thewriting time period to all display electrode pairs in embodiment 2. Thisdifference is the minimum of practicable values. In the first subfield1SF, also, the sustaining time period is started after the idle timeperiod in each block, thereby setting the difference between startingtimings of the sustaining time periods in respective blocks at theminimum value. Thus, when the difference between starting timings of thesustaining time periods having light emission in the panel in respectiveblocks is set at the minimum value, an influence caused by dividing thepanel into blocks and driving the panel can be prevented from exertingupon the visual sense.

After the writing time period in the fourth block, the sustaining timeperiod is started in the fourth block, and the writing time period isstarted in 2SF in the first block when the sustaining time period hasfinished in the first block. When the sustaining time period has notfinished in the first block, the writing time period in 2SF in the firstblock is not started, and is started after the finish of the sustainingtime period. After the writing time period in the first block, thesustaining time period is started in the first block, and the writingtime period is started in 2SF in the second block when the sustainingtime period has been finished in the second block. When the sustainingtime period has not finished in the second block, the writing timeperiod in 2SF in the second block is not started, and is started afterthe finish of the sustaining time period. After that, similarly, thewriting time periods in the third block and the fourth block areprovided not to coincide with the writing time periods of the otherblocks.

In embodiment 2, thus, when the writing time period for one displayelectrode pair is 1.7 μs and the number of display electrode pairs ineach block is 96, the difference between starting timings of thesustaining time periods in respective blocks can be set at 41 μs. Bysetting the difference between the sustaining time periods having lightemission of the panel in respective blocks at the minimum value, theinfluence caused by dividing the panel into blocks and driving the panelcan be prevented form exerting upon the visual sense.

Third Exemplary Embodiment

A panel employed in exemplary embodiment 3 of the present invention isthe same as that in exemplary embodiment 1. In exemplary embodiment 3,display electrode pair 6 of panel 1 is divided into three blocks. Threescan electrode driving units 131 to 133 for driving scan electrodes 4 inrespective blocks and three sustain electrode driving units 141 to 144for driving sustain electrodes 5 in respective blocks are independentlydisposed. As described later, these driving units drive the blocks atdifferent timings.

Driving voltage waveforms for driving the panel and their operations aredescribed hereinafter. In exemplary embodiment 3, the number of displayelectrode pairs of the panel is 384 (768×½), one field is formed of 10subfields (1SF, 2SF, . . . , 10SF), all subfields have an initializationtime period, and light emission or no light emission can be controlledin each subfield. The number of sustaining pulses in each sustainingtime period in each subfield is constant-number N times larger than 66,55, 44, 34, 25, 16, 8, 4, 2, or 1. When the constant-number N is setlarge, the number of sustaining pulses is increased and hence an imagehaving high luminance can be displayed. The subfield structure where thenumber of sustaining pulses is set at N-times larger than the abovevalue is called “N-times mode”.

FIG. 6 shows timings of an initialization time period, a writing timeperiod, and a sustaining time period in each subfield for three blocks.The vertical axis also shows three blocks, and the horizontal axis showstime.

The initialization time period is firstly started in 1SF in the firstblock. After the initialization time period, the writing time period isstarted in 1SF in the first block. After the writing time period in thefirst block, the sustaining time period is started in the first blockand the initialization time period is started in 1SF in the secondblock. After the initialization time period in the second block, thewriting time period is started in the second block. After that, thesimilar operations are performed. In other words, after the writing timeperiod in the second block, the sustaining time period is started in thesecond block, and the initialization time period and the writing timeperiod are sequentially started in the third block.

After the writing time period in the third block, the sustaining timeperiod is started in the third block, the initialization time period andthe writing time period are sequentially started in 2SF in the firstblock when the sustaining time period has finished in the first block.When the sustaining time period has not finished in the first block, theinitialization time period and the writing time period in 2SF in thefirst block are not started, and are started after the finish of thesustaining time period. After the writing time period in the firstblock, the sustaining time period is started in the first block, and theinitialization time period and the writing time period is sequentiallystarted in 2SF in the second block when the sustaining time period hasfinished in the second block. When the sustaining time period has notfinished in the second block, the initialization time period and thewriting time period in 2SF in the second block are not started, and arestarted after the finish of the sustaining time period. After that,similarly, the initialization time period and the writing time period inthe next block are provided not to coincide with the initialization timeperiod and the writing time periods of the other block.

After the writing time period in 10SF in the third block, the sustainingtime period is started in the third block, and, when the sustaining timeperiod has finished in the first block, the initialization time periodis started in 1SF, namely the next field, in the first block. When thesustaining time period has not finished in the first block, theinitialization time period is not started, and is started after thefinish of the sustaining time period. An adjusting time period formatching the length of one field with 1/60 s may be provided between10SF and the next field 1SF, similarly to embodiment 1.

Thus, the driving time of one field can be shortened, by dividing thedisplay electrode pair into a plurality of blocks and by driving theblocks with the phases shifted so that the writing time period in eachblock does not coincide with the writing time period or theinitialization time period in the other block. For example, it isassumed that the length of the initialization time period in 1SF is 200μs, the length of the initialization time periods in 2SF to 10SF is 100μs, the writing time period for one display electrode pair is 1.7 μs,the number of display electrode pairs in each block is 96, and the widthof the sustaining pulse is 4.5 μs. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6,even when constant-number N is set at “10”, the total length of allsubfields is 16.2 ms, and the luminance can be increased up to that in10-times mode.

For realizing the 10-times mode under the same condition, 18.3 ms isrequired. This value exceeds the time 16.6 ms of one field, so that thissubfield structure cannot be realized.

As discussed above, the starting timing of the subfield in each block isshifted in time so that the writing time periods in two or more blocksof the plurality of blocks do not coincide with each other. Therefore,the sustaining time period in one block can coincide with the writingtime period and the initialization time period of the other block, andthe number of sustaining pulses is increased to allow the display of animage having high luminance. The number of subfields may be increased toincrease the number of displayable gradations.

In embodiment 3, display electrode pair 6 is divided into three blocks.For the reason described in embodiment 1, the driving time is long ineither of the cases that the number of blocks is excessively large andthat the number is excessively small. It is therefore preferable thatthe number of blocks is optimized based on various conditions such asthe number of scan electrodes, the number of subfields, the number ofsustaining pulses, and times required for writing discharge andsustaining discharge.

In the present invention, the time assigned to the sustaining timeperiod or the time for increasing the number of subfields can besecured, and a driving method of a plasma display panel and a plasmadisplay device that allow high luminance and high gradation display canbe realized.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

In a driving method of a plasma display panel of the present invention,the time assigned to the sustaining time period or the time forincreasing the number of subfields can be secured, and high luminanceand high gradation display are allowed. This driving method is usefulfor a driving method of a plasma display panel and a plasma displaydevice.

1. A driving method of a plasma display panel, the plasma display panelcomprising: a plurality of display electrode pairs that extend in a rowdirection and form a display line; a plurality of data electrodesdisposed in the direction crossing the display electrode pairs; anddischarge cells formed at intersections of the data electrodes and thedisplay electrode pairs, the driving method of the plasma display panelcomprising: forming one field time period including a plurality ofsubfields having at least a writing time period and a sustaining timeperiod, of an initialization time period, the writing time period, andthe sustaining time period; dividing each display electrode pair into aplurality of blocks; and setting starting timings of the subfields ofthe blocks to be shifted so that writing timings of two or more blocksof the plurality of blocks do not coincide with each other.
 2. Thedriving method of a plasma display panel according to claim 1, whereinone field time period includes one initialization time period in each ofthe plurality of blocks.
 3. The driving method of a plasma display panelaccording to claim 2, wherein difference between starting timings of thesustaining time periods in adjacent blocks of the plurality of blocks isset substantially equal to the length of the writing time period in theadjacent blocks.
 4. A plasma display device comprising: a plasma displaypanel including: a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality ofsustain electrodes forming a plurality of display electrode pairs, thedisplay electrode pairs extending in a row direction and forming adisplay line; a plurality of data electrodes disposed in the directioncrossing the display electrode pairs; and discharge cells atintersections of the data electrodes and the display electrode pairs, aplurality of scan electrode driving units individually corresponding toa plurality of blocks, the plurality of blocks being formed by dividingthe display electrode pair; and a plurality of sustain electrode drivingunits individually corresponding to a plurality of blocks, wherein theplasma display device is driven by the driving method of the plasmadisplay panel according to claim 1.